Danger Right Behide You
by SharanMcQuack
Summary: The Jr. Woodchucks are fixing up an abandoned house, the Beagle Brats tease them, and SOMETHING attacks the Beagle Brats!


**Danger Right Behide You**

By Sharan McQuack, Launchpad's wife.

VERY loosely based on "Teddy and the Old Grange Mystery" by Colour Library books, Ltd.

Not a bad book, but one whose characters are too generic. ( A teddy bear named Teddy. How original.)

"Ducktales" episodes are now available on watch tv sit coms. com

* * *

The Jr. Woodchucks were meeting in their headquarters, Launchpad acting as Troop Leader. I was playing hostess "since I'm only an honorary Jr. Woodchuck. Girls didn't get to join the Woodchucks, when I was 8, Webby. I was a Chickadee." I said.

"Well, I'M a Jr. Woodchuck. And it's MY turn to suggest a project. You know that old mansion people say is haunted? Why don't we fix it up and turn it into a haunted mansion for Halloween? It will take a while to get permission and to fix it up so it's safe, but it should be ready by October if we work together." Webby said." It's only mid-March, so we have plenty of time." Webby asked.

"It's not a bad idea. If anybody can get permission, Mr. McD can! The place has not been empty long, but rumors of it being haunted have been buzzing around since it's last owner died. I kind of hate bringing this possibility up, but I DID see a real, dead ghost once (1)...so it's POSSIBLE it's really haunted." Launchpad said.

"Launchpad..." Huey begin.

"YOU guys saw a banshee! Right? Well, I saw a ghost! So I got scared! How am I supposed to fight a ghost? I can't punch it in the nose, my fist goes right thru it!" Launchpad asked.

"Look, if you're willing to do the work to fix it up, so am I! But if we see a real ghost, I get to say: I told you so." Launchpad said.

So, all of us went to the old Squaker Mansion, abandoned after the death of the last of the Squaker family. Launchpad and I inspected the place before letting the kids enter. But it was in good shape, nothing a little hard work and a few supplies could not fix.

We got to work. But the Beagle Brats soon showed up and started teasing us for wasting time on an old dump and acting like a bunch of goody two shoes. They did not go any further because Launchpad was there, but they knew as long as all they did was TALK, Launchpad couldn't lay a finger on a bunch of KIDS without looking like a bully.

Since the Beagle Brats outnumbered the Jr. Woodchucks greatly, there wasn't much to do but ignore them. Seeing the smoke come out of Launchpad as he wished they were grownups kept ME from losing MY rotten temper.

Then weird stuff started happening. The Beagle Brats tripped and ended up in the mud. Some paint cans nobody was near somehow ended up spilled all over them.

This happened every time they teased and tormented us, especially when they got nasty. As long as they just watched, nothing happened.

"Something weird going on here" Huey said.

"Yeah, but what ever it is, it seems to be on OUR side. Do you think it COULD be a ghost?" Dewey asked.

"I don't know..." Louie said.

"Hey, I KNOW it's UNLIKELY it's a ghost! SOMETHING is causing all this- and I want to know what it is. I'm not going to assume it's supernatural. I just know that's POSSIBLE, that's all!" Launchpad said.

"Actually, I'm starting to wonder- it is broad daylight, and who ever heard of a ghost doing things during the day? I haven't seen any white shapes or heard any moaning. All I seen is a little moving something out of the corner of my eye. All I've heard is a funny noise- almost like laughing!" Launchpad commented.

"You too? We've been hearing a weird noise and almost seeing something, too- come to think of it, it happens whenever something weird goes down around here." the Trins chimed together.

As the day goes on, clouds gather. Seeing that it's going to rain, the Duckburg Ducks move indoors to fix stuff in there. They lock the door behide them so the Beagle Brats can't follow.

Unfortunately, since they are there to fix the old house, one of the windows doesn't lock properly and the Beagle Brats get in thru it. (2)Double-unfortunately, the Duckburg Ducks are working separately: sweeping, washing, etc. And bullies LOVE attacking a smaller kid when the smaller kid is alone and the bullies are with friends. (3)

The Brats bunch up, looking for Huey, Dewey, Louie or some other kid working alone so they can "get" him.

BUT... apparently, somebody or some THING does not approve of such goings on. And said something sneaks up on the Beagle Brats and gives them wedgies. (4)

The Brats scream in surprise... especially when they look to catch the culprit, nobody's there!

The Ducktales Ducks come see what the commotion is about... and find the Beagle Brats accusing each other of the offense!

"I didn't do nothing!" Brat One said.

"Well, nobody else is around!" Brat Two replied.

"It must be those Jr. Woodchuck jerks!" Brat Three said.

"Like those goody two shoes would give US wedgies?" Brat One sneered.

"Why not? WE do that sort of thing all the time! They ain't THAT perfect!" Brat Two answered.

"What's going on here?" Launchpad asked.

Seeing Launchpad and ALL the Jr. Woodchucks, the Beagle Brats scram, having no taste for a fair fight.

"Something attacked the Beagle Brats! And it wasn't us!" Huey said.

"Maybe this place IS haunted?" Dewey asked "We're the only other ones here!"

"Not unless ghosts leave footprints. Even if it's teeny-tiny footprints!" said Louie, pointing to some very small, muddy footprints.

"Too small for the Beagle Brats to have left them. Somebody else is in this house. Several somebodies, since there are a lot of itsy-bitsy footprints." Launchpad observed.

"And the footprints are different shapes! Some are smaller than others, some are narrower than others! They were made by different somebodies, all right!" I agreed.

We followed the footprints, but they went in different directions, the boys following one set, Webby following another, me and Launchpad a third set of prints.

After the Trins were alone, they came face-to-face with the Beagle Brats.

"We don't know what kind of tricks you've been playing..." Brat One began.

"Us? Tricks? Tricks are for kids!" (5) Huey said.

"We're going to "get" you for what you've done!" Brat Two said.

"We didn't do anything! Honest! Just leave us and this place alone, and you'll be fine!" Dewey said.

"Enough talk! Get them!" Brat One commanded.

And the Beagle Brats would of hurt the Triplets, but unseen somebodies came out of nowhere and started hitting the Brats.

"Ouch! Stop it!" the Brats complained.

The Brats swung wildly, trying to strike back, but their attackers were so small and so quick, the Brats couldn't even see them, let alone hit them.

"Help! Something attacking the Beagle Brats!" screamed the Trins.

Launchpad and I came running from one direction, Webby from another. We saw something hitting the Brats, but could not make out what was attacking them, they moved too fast.

"Stop! They're just kids!" Launchpad yelled.

"Yeah! Enough already!" the Trins screamed.

"I think they're ready to behave by now!" Webby added.

The somebodies attacking the Brats scrammed.

"Why'd you call them off for?" Brat One asked.

"Because we just want to fix this place up and turn it into a haunted house this Halloween, that's why!" Webby said.

"It's haunted, all right. Let's get out of here!" Brat Two replied.

And they LEFT.

Launchpad looked to make sure the Brats were really gone and were not hanging around this time. Launchpad found some small, gnarled clubs on the floor of the "haunted" house.

"Thought so. FARDAREK! Come on, come out, where ever you are! I know it's you!" Launchpad yelled.

A few sheepish Leprechauns, Fardarek included, came out of hiding.

"Now, how did you know it was me?" Fardarek asked.

"One: the teeny-tiny footprints. Two: you dropped your cudgel. Three: it's Saint Patrick's day!" Launchpad explained.

"Well, I owed you a favor, didn't I? You helping us Leprechauns got me back in the good graces of King Brian. (6) I've been welcomed back by my fellow leprechauns. So me and my friends helped you and your friends, to help repay the favor." Fardarek explained.

"How come we couldn't see you?" Launchpad asked.

"Oh, we Lephrechauns can go unseen by you big people when we choose to." Fardarek replied.

"I know something else can do, if you don't mind. We finished fixing up the main room. We could throw a party here, and raise some money ..." Launchpad began.

And a short time later...we were having a St. Patrick day's party/sale. We sold green cookies and "green" tea (practical jokers kept asking for Irish coffee), and had "take a photo with a Leprechaun" booths.

"Where did you ever find such tiny actors to play Leprechauns?" "people" would ask Launchpad.

"They're REAL Leprechauns." Launchpad replied.

Not his fault nobody BELIEVED him.

By the end of the day, we'd raised a lot of money for the Jr. Woodchucks, which meant a lot of poor kids could join the Woodchucks, for free -including summer camp.

Launchpad thanked the Leprechauns and then they went home.

"Do I get to say "I told you so?"?" Launchpad asked. "No ghosts, but Leprechauns aren't exactly NORMAL...."

**The End.**

* * *

(1) You might be surprised how many houses get robbed because a window isn't locked- or a back door, a side door, a basement door, a garage door....

(2) "Luck O' the Ducks" Not that I believe that Launchpad was anyplace as scared as Disney made him out to be.

When Launchpad's brave, it's because he's stupid. When he's afraid, it's because he's a coward. He can't win.

Disney is stupid, refusing the take advantage of Launchpad's popularity. But it's THEIR company and if they don't WANT to listen, what can I do?

"Buy what WE want you to buy! Or ELSE!"

"Or else WHAT, dopes? You won't make money selling what I want to buy?"

(3) So much for that stupid public service ad, McGruff. Don't other adults remember stuff like that?

(4) They're dogs. They wear pants. Hey, maybe THAT's why ducks don't wear pants on Earth-Disney? So nobody can give them a wedgie?

(5) Well, SOMEBODY had to say it! Am I the ONLY one who thought of that when the Trins said "US? Tricks? to Mr. McDee in "Lost Lamp"?

(6) See: The Wish 'Bringer by Luckyduck29.


End file.
